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Dan Pronk

Dr Dan Pronk completed his medical schooling on an Australian Army scholarship and served the majority of his military career with Special Operations Units, including four tours of Afghanistan and over 100 combat missions. Dr Pronk was awarded the Commendation for Distinguished Service for his conduct in action on his second tour of Afghanistan. During his military service Dr Pronk served as an Australian medical liaison to the Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care, as well as representing Australian Special Operations at the NATO Special Operations Forces Medical Expert Panel. Dr Pronk holds a Fellowship with the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, and is an instructor on the Royal Australian College of Surgeon's Early Management of Severe Trauma Course. Dr Pronk currently works as a Senior Medical Officer in the Emergency Department of a regional hospital and serves as the Medical Director for TacMed Australia, providing tactical medical advice and training to a number of Police Tactical Groups and Other Government Agencies.

Dan Pronk Articles

Former Australian Special Forces doctor on success in the face of adversity: Don’t leave any rounds in the magazine

There are lots of motivational sayings relating to not giving up until you quite literally can’t go any further—"don’t leave any gas in the tank," for instance. These relate to the idea that you never quite know when success is right around the corner and just hanging in there for a tiny bit more time might get you to your objective. There are sayings for that as well, … [Read more...] about Former Australian Special Forces doctor on success in the face of adversity: Don’t leave any rounds in the magazine

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Two key lessons I learned from Special Air Service selection

It's fair to say that service with Special Forces changes a person and that the process of profound change commences on the selection course. Reflecting on the selection course that I underwent more than a decade ago, I can see that it was a pivotal point in my life both personally and professionally. I entered the Australian Army at age 23 on a scholarship to study medicine … [Read more...] about Two key lessons I learned from Special Air Service selection

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Filling the void: Maslow and transitioning out of the military

This article is the second in a series of articles discussing the difficulties faced by service members transitioning out of the military. The first, titled “Abandoning the tribe: The psychology behind why veterans struggle to transition to civilian life,” covered some of the psychological theories at play as a military member becomes indoctrinated into their unit and can … [Read more...] about Filling the void: Maslow and transitioning out of the military

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Abandoning the tribe: The psychology behind why veterans struggle to transition to civilian life

I had seen the cliff coming for six months before I eventually fell off it, and I thought I had prepared myself well for the fall. I was wrong. Having spent the preceding 14 years in the army, the last five with special operations, I was looking forward to a slower-paced and simpler life with my young family. As a doctor, job prospects post-army were good and promised wages … [Read more...] about Abandoning the tribe: The psychology behind why veterans struggle to transition to civilian life

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Wounding patterns of blast injury (GRAPHIC IMAGES)

The wounding patterns of blast injuries are well known to any military medic who has served recently on operations, with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) constituting a significant proportion of the casualties on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan. Sadly the IED threat is no longer confined to war zones, with a series of high profile, mass-casualty IED terror events … [Read more...] about Wounding patterns of blast injury (GRAPHIC IMAGES)

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WATCH: DEA FAST agent shot during helicopter extraction under fire from Taliban drug raid

This case study is of a good friend of mine (written with his consent) who sustained a through-and-through gunshot wound from an AK47 round from a range of approximately 200m. The operator who was shot was a DEA FAST agent, and my element and his were on a combined counter-narcotic job in Southern Afghanistan at the time. To set the scene, we had two targets to hit that day, … [Read more...] about WATCH: DEA FAST agent shot during helicopter extraction under fire from Taliban drug raid

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(WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES) Through-and-through gunshot wound to the chest

The following case study is of an Afghan civilian woman who was medically evacuated to a Forward Surgical Team in regional Afghanistan having sustained a through-and-through gunshot wound to her right upper chest. The exact circumstance of the wounding was never made completely clear, but it was understood that the women was injured in crossfire during a firefight between two … [Read more...] about (WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES) Through-and-through gunshot wound to the chest

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GRAPHIC: See the grisly effects of a high-velocity gunshot wound to the leg

This injury occurred on a combined U.S. and Australian special operations mission in the mountains of southern Afghanistan a few years back. The case study is one I used some photos from in my previous post, "Why I'd rather be shot by an AK-47 than an M4." After that post, I had multiple emails requesting further information about this case study and how he was medically … [Read more...] about GRAPHIC: See the grisly effects of a high-velocity gunshot wound to the leg

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How to save a life using items found in the trunk of your car

Massive hemorrhage is one of the leading causes of death in motor vehicle-related trauma, and with only minutes to death from a significant arterial bleed, the reality is that a percentage of salvageable casualties will die from potentially compressible bleeds prior to emergency services arriving. The authorities in the United States have recognized this fact in regard to … [Read more...] about How to save a life using items found in the trunk of your car

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Shredded intestines from gunshot wounds to the legs (graphic)

This is a case study of a casualty that I was involved with a number of years ago in Afghanistan. I feel it is worth sharing due to the fact that it was initially a bit of a perplexing case, however, applying common advanced life-support principles allowed us to identify the life-threatening injury and deal with it appropriately. The backstory to the case is a bit of a … [Read more...] about Shredded intestines from gunshot wounds to the legs (graphic)

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Train As You’re Going to Fight: The Importance of Reality-Based Training

I recently had to recertify for one of my key medical competencies at work, with the one-day training course being run at the regional hospital I work at. Although the training was delivered by an outstanding instructor, and was highly engaging, it was run in a conference room with equipment that belonged to the training provider, and differed slightly to the kit we use in our … [Read more...] about Train As You’re Going to Fight: The Importance of Reality-Based Training

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An AK-47 Bullet Through the Neck Couldn’t Stop Him!

The following case study is of a friend of mine (written with his permission) who was shot through the neck by an AK-47 during an operation from a range of about 150 meters. The bullet entered the back of his neck just right of the midline and then blew out the front of the left side of his neck. Remarkably, he not only survived, but has subsequently made a near-complete … [Read more...] about An AK-47 Bullet Through the Neck Couldn’t Stop Him!

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